1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-channel thin-film magnetic head, and to a multi-channel magnetic tape drive apparatus with the multi-channel thin-film magnetic head.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the multi-channel magnetic tape drive apparatus, a multi-channel thin-film magnetic head with read head elements and write head elements for a large number of channels is provided. For example, in the multi-channel magnetic tape drive apparatus (the fourth generation) with the LTO (linear tape open) technical standard, a multi-channel thin-film magnetic head provided with read head elements of 16 channels, write head elements of 16 channels and servo magnetic head elements of 2 channels is used.
Recently, with enhancement in the performance of the multi-channel magnetic tape drive apparatus, required is adoption of high performance multi-channel thin film magnetic head. Thus, an inductive write head element is used as the write head element of each channel and also a giant magnetoresistive effect (GMR) read head element is put to practical use as the read head element of each channel, and demand for high output read head element becomes more increased.
The GMR read head element is compatible with high recording density and can provide high output, but because of low withstand voltage, it is easy to receive electrical destruction. Thus, a magnetic disk drive apparatus with one or more thin-film magnetic heads each having a single GMR read head element is designed such that electrical charge in the head element is gradually discharged to a substrate via a high-resistance shunt formed between the GMR read head element and the substrate. However, because the multi-channel thin film magnetic head for multi-channel magnetic tape drive apparatus has a plurality of GMR read head elements, the electric charge may flow to the neighboring GMR read head element before it discharges to the substrate through the high-resistance shunt. Particularly, in recent years, because head element separation of the multi-channel thin-film magnetic head becomes narrower and its shield space between adjacent head elements becomes approximately 1 μm, the possibility of occurring of discharge between the shields of the adjacent head elements becomes higher.